NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME JOURNAL www.nwhof.org FALL 2016 WHAT’S INSIDE Looking to the Future ................. 2-3 Hall of Fame News ...................... 4-7 Hall of Fame Inducts 40th Class State Chapters ............................ 8-13 DGM Inductions ..................... 12-14 BOARD OF GOVERNORS Terry Shockley, Chairman Steve Silver, Vice Chairman Tom Slowey, Secretary Ed Gallegos, Treasurer Rich Bender John Harris, III Jed Brown Matt Hull John Bowlsby Jay Keel Robert Buckley Chris McGowan Mike Child Mike Moyer Michael David O’Hara DerGarabedian Alan Rice Lee Roy Smith Stan Dziedzic Sandy Stevens Martin Floreani Front Row (L to R): Ron Good, Marcia D.W. Haise, Katie Brock and Randy Bortles. Tom Talbot Back Row (L to R): Brandon Slay, Joseph Galli Jr., Bruce Wilson (accepting on behalf of his father, the late Dick Roger Frizzell Noel Thompson Wilson), William B. Harlow and Carlton Haselrig. Not Pictured: Mark Hall II John Graham Ty Wilcox Combining the induction of the Class Galli Jr. (Outstanding American), Ron MUSEUM INFORMATION of 2016 with the reopening of the Good (Order of Merit), Marcia D.W. National Wrestling Hall of Fame National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Haise (Meritorious Official), Katie Brock and Museum Museum following its $3.8 million (Tricia Saunders High School Excellence) 405 W. Hall of Fame Ave. renovation, made the 40th Anniversary and Mark Hall II (Dave Schultz High Stillwater, OK 74075-5025 Honors Weekend on June 3-4 the most School Excellence). Phone: 405.377.5243 monumental event since the museum Fax: 405.377.5244 Nearly 400 people, the largest crowd opened in 1976. www.nwhof.org/stillwater in NWHOF history, attended the [email protected] “Honors Weekend is our premiere event Presentation of Plaques ceremony on Hours Of Operation and to combine it with opening the doors Friday at the National Wrestling Hall Monday - Friday to our new home was exciting,” said of Fame, and for many, it was the first 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturdays Lee Roy Smith, Hall of FameExecutive opportunity to see the redesigned 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Director. “We had people who have museum. After an hour of socializing ————— ——— ——— attended Honors Weekend since the and exploring, the program began with NWHOF Dan Gable Museum beginning that were amazed and excited Sandy Stevens introducing Smith who 303 Jefferson St. by the renovation. welcomed and thanked everyone for Waterloo, IA 50701-1321 attending. Phone: 319.233.0745 “The positive reactions and responses Fax: 319.233.3477 make all the time and hard work Smith introduced Board of Governors www.nwhof.org/waterloo worthwhile, and everyone involved Chairman Terry Shockley, who [email protected] takes tremendous pride in the updated recognized the donors who participated Hours Of Operation National Wrestling Hall of Fame.” in the Beyond the Walls renovation Monday - Friday campaign and acknowledged the 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Class of 2016 is made up of expertise and services of Manhattan On weekends by appointment Distinguished Members William B. Construction, Crafton Tull and Please call ahead of your visit. Harlow, Carlton Haselrig, Brandon Dimensional Innovations. Slay and the late Dick Wilson, Randy Bortles (Medal of Courage), Joseph (Continued on page 4) LOOKING TO THE FUTURE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Exciting time to be involved with National Wrestling Hall of Fame 1976-1986: The first decade established the NWHOF as the one true, authentic shrine for the heroes of amateur wrestling, through its inductions of Distinguished Members. It was a decade that also generated a new authority for governing the Those of you who attended Honors Weekend 2016, and those who have visited our newly sport as the NWHOF’s founding partner, the United States Wrestling Federation, emerged from a long court battle with renovated Hall of Fame, will testify to the wonderful sense of pride that you have felt after the Amateur Athletic Union over the right to be seated as the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of wrestling. experiencing the new and improved National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum, which we are USWF changed its name in 1983 to USA Wrestling. confident is now the greatest cultural and historical testament to wrestling in the world. You can be sure that this renovation came about because of shared leadership and support from our 1986-1996: The second decade for the NWHOF was about expanding our organization’s footprint with the creation Board of Governors and constituents from around the world who shape our strategic priorities. of additional awards and programs, which include the Outstanding American and Order of Merit awards in 1992, the Meritorious Official award in 1994, our State Chapter Programs and awards in 1994, the Medal of Courage award in This bold modernization of our museum has produced an increased awareness for our sport 1996 and the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 1996. These allow us to recognize a broader scope of people and its heritage. In fact, we have experienced an increase in the number of visitors to the Hall who contribute to the historic fabric of our sport. It was also the decade when USA Wrestling moved its headquarters to of Fame and online to our website and social media pages. With an increase in storage space Colorado Springs, allowing us to expand and dedicate the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors. at the museum, we are now able to rotate memorabilia periodically to create new and relevant experiences for visitors. The new digital screens provide visitors access to information on youth, 1996-2006: The third decade of the NWHOF would test our organization’s ability to financially sustain growth. We collegiate, international and Hall of Fame honorees. All in all, the new design has made it also dedicated space in the museum to honor the sport’s international wrestling Hall of Fame members, beginning Lee Roy Smith possible for us to blend the sport’s past with current mat moments as they happen in real time. with its Charter Class in 2003. In 2005, we launched an educational outreach program that features annual exhibits to Executive Director demonstrate the sport’s impact upon society. We have worked to emphasize diversity and inclusion with programs that The Board of Governors has now turned its focus toward raising funds to upgrade the highlight African-Americans, Latino Americans, infrastructure of the NWHOF Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. We will be using the same group of creative and Native Americans and women. We have also shown innovative team members that designed the NWHOF in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Anyone who has ever visited the DGM our sport’s involvement in the military as well as knows well that it provides a creative, educational and inspirational experience, which spotlights a distinct yet significant showcasing the United States presidents who have segment of our sport’s heritage. A newly expanded training center will increase the DGM’s capacity to deliver a variety of wrestled. interactive programming to more youth, along with new digital technology that will allow us to share content between both museum locations, which will further enhance your experience when you visit. 2006-2016: The fourth decade of the NWHOF required our organization to become more In addition to celebrating your Hall of Fame’s 40th anniversary, we have been able to experience some of the greatest accountable, transparent and inclusive with regards to moments in wrestling’s history this year with the NCAA Division I Championships making their first-ever appearance in our governance and long-range plans. We continued New York City at Madison Square Garden and the 31st Summer Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Women’s wrestling our goal of producing relevant programming, while in the United States is on the move with an ever-increasing number of young women participating. This increase in upgrading infrastructures to communicate our participation has also forced a demand for more gender-specific programs at the high school and collegiate levels, so sport’s benefits to a youthful, global audience. During females can attain the values and benefits derived from the world’s oldest and greatest sport, affirming ever more why the middle of this decade, our Board of Governors America Needs Wrestling! launched the most aggressive fundraising campaign Indeed, there is much to celebrate, but there are many in our history with the Beyond the Walls Capital challenging issues that continue to confront our Campaign in 2010. During that same year, the Board Visitors now experience digital technology and interactive exhibits. sport. These will require strategic leadership, financial embarked on an Asset Purchase Agreement of the investment and advocates for the sport of wrestling, so International Wrestling Institute and Museum in that we can provide opportunities to anyone, anywhere. Waterloo, Iowa. Following the purchase, the museum was rebranded as the NWHOF Dan Gable Museum. In 2014, the Your interest and support are helping the NWHOF make NWHOF established an annual high school for female wrestlers and named it the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence a difference in how the sport’s traditions and values will Award in honor of the first female Distinguished Member of the Hall of Fame. be preserved for future generations. Our next decade will surely challenge our ability to support a vibrant sport in the United States and beyond. We are Our organization has achieved many milestones over thankful to those who have been instrumental the past 40 years in helping us continue our mission to preserve, recognize the past four decades, but the majority could not have and inspire. As we embark on our fifth decade, we invite you to join us by: been possible without the vision and leadership of ➢ Volunteering on our boards or committees at the state or national level Myron Roderick and his colleagues.